Humpback oven-broiler
First Claim
1. An oven-broiler of the humpback type including a tunnel-form cooking chamber and a conveyor therein for conveying food products through the chamber for cooking of such products by infrared radiation, the oven-broiler having structure defining an entrance and an exit at opposite ends of the chamber for ingress and egress, respectively, of food products relative to the chamber, the entrance and exit being each located at a level lower than the chamber for causing the chamber to entrap a heated, oxygen-starved atmosphere and characterized by the oven structure including means for defining an elongate aperture along the bottom of the chamber for providing communication between the chamber and an atmosphere external to the chamber, and control means associated with said aperture for controlling the nature of the oven chamber atmosphere by controlling said communication.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An oven-broiler of the humpback type includes a tunnel-form cooking chamber and a conveyor extending through it for conveying food products through the chamber for cooking of the products by emission of infrared radiation form the walls of the tunnel. An entrance and an exit are located at opposite ends of the chamber for continuous ingress and egress of the food products, with both entrance and exit being at a level lower than the chamber floor for causing the chamber to entrap a heated, oxygen-starved atmosphere in which flaming of the food products cannot freely occur. An elongated aperture extends along the bottom of the chamber for communication between the chamber and the external atmosphere. A control body, which may take one of different forms such as tubular, plate-form, or perforate, extends along the length of the aperture for controlling communication through the aperture. The control body has a surface positioned within the aperture below the conveyor for contact with grease or other liquids produced by cooking of the food products, providing a location for condensation and/or controlled flaming, dependent upon configuration.
50 Citations
23 Claims
- 1. An oven-broiler of the humpback type including a tunnel-form cooking chamber and a conveyor therein for conveying food products through the chamber for cooking of such products by infrared radiation, the oven-broiler having structure defining an entrance and an exit at opposite ends of the chamber for ingress and egress, respectively, of food products relative to the chamber, the entrance and exit being each located at a level lower than the chamber for causing the chamber to entrap a heated, oxygen-starved atmosphere and characterized by the oven structure including means for defining an elongate aperture along the bottom of the chamber for providing communication between the chamber and an atmosphere external to the chamber, and control means associated with said aperture for controlling the nature of the oven chamber atmosphere by controlling said communication.
- 22. An oven-broiler of the humpback type including a tunnel-form cooking chamber and an endless conveyor therein for conveying food products through the chamber for cooking of such products by infrared radiation, the cooking chamber being of tubular form, the oven-broiler having end extensions which extend from opposite ends of the tubular form cooking chamber for defining an entrance and an exit at the outer opposite ends of said extensions for ingress and egress, respectively, of food products relative to the chamber, the entrance and exit being each located at a level lower than the chamber for causing the chamber to entrap a heated, oxygen-starved atmosphere and characterized by the oven structure including means for defining an elongate aperture along the bottom of the chamber for providing communication between the chamber and an atmosphere external to the chamber, a control body having an elongate form and conforming to the aperture, the control body partially blocking the aperture for controlling the nature of the chamber atmosphere by controlling the nature and extent of the communication between the chamber and the external atmosphere, the control body being in a position located within the aperture along the center line of the aperture and including means for engaging the oven structure to maintain the control body within the aperture, the control body being readily removable from its position within the aperture, the control body including a control surface oriented below the conveyor for contact with grease or other liquids produced by cooking of the food products, the control surface being oriented for facing toward the interior of the chamber below the food products and serving as a location for controlled flaming of grease produced during cooking of the food products or for providing a condensation surface for condensing of vapor produced during heating of the food products, grease receiving means oriented below the control body for receiving drainage of grease and other liquids, including condensed fluids, from the aperture and control body, and vent means proximate the entrance and exit for withdrawing smoke and vapors produced within the chamber during cooking of the food products and escaping from the entrance or exit, respectively.
Specification